There apparently is a third-party database of pistol permit holders statewide that Assemblyman Bill Reilich, R-Greece, would like to see shut down under the New York SAFE Act.

Reilich has called on Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to intervene, investigate and shut down the website. The Democrat and Chronicle has reached out to the Attorney General’s Office about Reilich’s request, and will update when it responds.

Names and addresses of pistol permit holders are public information, however fury erupted in December when a Westchester County newspaper published a database of permit-holders in that region.

Assemblyman Bill Reilich, R-Greece and chairman of the Monroe County Republican Party, will now have a broader responsibility.

Reilich will now be the chairman of the Finger Lakes Region’s Republican Party.

“I am very honored to be selected to represent the Finger Lakes region,” Reilich said in a release. “I look forward to this opportunity to promote both regionally and statewide the principles of the Republican Party which set the criteria for our primary goal of identifying qualified candidates.”

Campaign finance reports came out this week for legislative candidates. Here is how much each candidate in the Rochester area raised. These reports covered the period from mid-January to mid-June of this year.

Select members of the Assembly Republican conference have traveled to Washington, D.C., for some political meetings on Capitol Hill, and at least one in that group, Assemblyman Bill Reilich, will also attend President Barack Obama’s speech on jobs tomorrow night.

Reilich, who is also Monroe County Republican chairman, was invited by Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning, Steuben County, to tomorrow night’s speech to Congress, he said. Each member of Congress could invite one person, Reilich said.

Weeks ago, before the jobs speech was scheduled, Reed had invited Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb and other Assembly members down to Washington to speak with House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor. The group plans to meet during the day tomorrow.

Monroe County Republican Chairman Bill Reilich blasted Sen. Jim Alesi over Alesi’s lawsuit filed in connection with a fall he suffered while visiting an unfinished house, to which he was not invited.

Reilich, not the only one to knock Alesi over the suit, calls on Alesi to drop the lawsuit in a statement released today:

“I am outraged by the recent lawsuit being brought about by Senator Jim Alesi. While no doubt the Senator suffered physical trauma, I stand with the countless number of every day citizens as well as party faithful who believe that his recent decision is unacceptable. The homeowners in this situation decided against dragging their elected official into a legal matter and let the statute of limitations expire on the charge of trespassing. Imagine their shock when they learned that their Senator did not turn the other cheek and accept personal responsibility for the obvious accident that occurred. As Republican Chairman my main responsibility is to promote and support our Republican ideals and values. Lower taxes, less government interference and placing emphasis on fostering an environment which is conducive to business growth are all key philosophies supported by Republicans. In many cases these core principals are what separates us from the other political parties. However, I believe another critical issue that we also embody is personal responsibility, not only as Republicans, but as neighbors and residents of our great County. While Senator Alesi is clearly calling this situation a “personal matter” I must disagree. As an elected official, the public justifiable holds us to a higher standard, we must guard the trust they place in each of us. Therefore, I must publicly denounce Senator Alesi’s decision to move forward with this lawsuit and ask that he reconsider his position and accept this incident as an unfortunate accident. Senator Alesi needs to drop this irresponsible lawsuit, appologize and get to work at rebuilding the shattered trust of his constituents.”

Monroe County Democratic Chairman Joseph Morelle today wrote a letter to his GOP counterpart to push him on redistricting.

Morelle and Republican Chairman Bill Reilich are both members of the Assembly, and they both signed a pledge supporting independent redistricting at the state level, among other things, circulated by former New York City Mayor Ed Koch.

Democrats in the County Legislature have been pushing a proposal for a bipartisan panel that doesn’t include legislators, to draw new district boundaries this year.

Monroe County GOP Chairman Bill Reilich, fresh off wins for state Senate and the Assembly, including the surprise ouster of longtime incumbent David Koon, said he is not interested in becoming chairman of the state party.

“My focus is on Monroe County in terms of the chairman’s perspective,” Reilich said. “That’s where I’m going to stay put.”

In Monroe County next year, County Executive Maggie Brooks is up for re-election, a race for district attorney is scheduled and all 29 legislature seats are up for grabs. Reilich would like to expand his 16-13 majority in the legislature.

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Contributors

Jon Campbell has been covering government and politics for the Gannett Albany Bureau since May 2011. Previously, he covered health and environmental issues for the Press & Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton, N.Y., with a focus on natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale.

Joseph Spector is Gannett Albany Bureau chief and has covered New York politics and government since 2002. He was the political reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle and has since joined the Albany Bureau, covering state government for all of Gannett New York.

Brian Tumulty has worked in the Gannett Washington Bureau since 1992, first as a national business writer and then as a regional reporter for newspapers in New York, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. A native of the New York City borough of Queens, he attended high school on Long Island and college in the Bronx. He has four children and one granddaughter.

Fact Check contributors

Gary Craig's focus for much of the past decade has been on criminal justice issues. He has won regional, state and national journalism awards, including honors from Investigative Reporters and Editors and the National Headliners Awards.

Len LaCara is the exclusive enterprise editor for the Democrat and Chronicle, in charge of local news, sports and business. He also directs our political coverage.

Meaghan McDermott has been with the Democrat and Chronicle since 1998, and has come close to reaching her one-time goal of being assigned as a beat reporter to cover each of Monroe County's suburban towns and villages. Since 2006, her focus has been on the Town of Greece and the Greece Central School District.

Steve Orr has been a reporter at the Democrat and Chronicle since 1981, and has covered a wide variety of local topics. At present Orr focuses on environmental issues. Contact: E-mail | Phone (585) 258-2386 | Twitter.com/SOrr1 | Facebook.com/SteveOrrROC